Karan Johar admits he's friendly with both Salman and SRK

Filmmaker Karan Johar has been known to share a special equation with Shah Rukh Khan. The director made his acting debut with him in Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995) and in turn, SRK acted in his directorial debut, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998). But of late, KJo’s sudden closeness with two other Khans — Aamir and Salman — seems to have got the industry questioning his loyalty to the Chennai Express star.

For many years now, Salman and Shah Rukh have shared a publicly volatile relationship. Explaining himself, he says, “I have always been friendly with a lot of members of the industry. You can never take away the fact that Shah Rukh and I share a 20-year-long professional and personal history. He’s not just a friend, but like family. It’s sad that I have to explain my immense closeness to Shah Rukh on a daily basis.”

A few weeks ago, Karan was spotted with Aamir and his wife Kiran Rao in Assam, where the bunch was celebrating the latter’s birthday. Meanwhile, the director also made news for roping in Salman to mark the launch of his upcoming TV chat show’s new season. “Why is it that if you are friendly with one, you have to hate another? I have had a great equation with Salman and his family. I am close to every member of that family,” says Karan.

The filmmaker further adds that his friendly nature is part of the “legacy” he has inherited from his late father, Yash Johar. “My parents have brought me up to be an amiable, affable and accessible human being. I have known Aamir and Kiran for years and I am very attached to them. And why should it be a big deal if I attend a close friend’s birthday party?” he says.